


I Want A House With A Crowded Table

by Hastings1066



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben hosts thanksgiving to prove he is an adult, Estrangement, F/M, I can't fucking remember how to tag its been so long since I've written anything, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kombucha, M/M, Multi, Paige loves charcuterie boards, Past Child Abuse, Poe owns a microbrewery, Rey and Ben talk, Rey preps thanksgiving dinner to prove something, bougie baby with rich taste, end of an estrangement, they all swear they're not hipsters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21556840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hastings1066/pseuds/Hastings1066
Summary: Reylo Prompts@reylo_promptsBen Solo, a young lawyer estranged from his parents, runs into a one night stand and finds his world turned upside down. Rey, a young engineer, tries to adjust to the changes happening in her life and cook a fucking turkey for her baby daddy, his parents, and her friends.But tensions run high as the Holidays bring up long buried grudges and memories for all involved.Title taken from the Highwomen song, Crowded Table.CW: PregnancyCurious Cat Prompt: "Ben is going to introduce Rey to his family. Simple, if you forget that she's heavily pregnant, he hasn't spoken to his family in a decade and that no Solo-Skywalker family dinner has ever gone without being a shitshow."
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14
Collections: Reylo Prompt Fills (@reylo_prompts)





	1. Prologue

The pregnancy had come as a surprise and that was putting it mildly. 

Ben had actively hated the idea of children, too much baggage, for as long as he could remember.  
Besides, his work kept him busy enough it wouldn't be fair for him to go out and get a girlfriend (even if having someone to greet him when he came home at night was beginning to sound more and more like heaven).

But then he met Rey. 

Or to be more accurate, he bumped into the chick he had a one night stand with at a coffee shop far outside his regular route. 

They locked eyes across the room and for a moment everything that had been blowing up with the merger at Snoke's firm and running around in his head went quiet. The same thing had happened when he met her at the bar and it was the quiet her eyes inspired that gave him the last little push he needed to go up and speak with her.

Ben had meant to get her number, he really had. And it was the last thing he thought about before falling asleep with her in his arms. 

But when he woke up the next morning she had already gone.

Now though, that wouldn't be a problem. The moment broke when she looked panicked and glanced down at herself, Ben's eyes following. 

Oh. And right then, Ben's world turned on its axis.

Well shit.


	2. Rey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey attempts to take on a turkey and fails miserably. Also, baggage is unpacked. Or, the process is at least begun.

Rey wiped her hands on the dish towel for the and drummed her fingers on the marble counter-top. She dropped the towel and picked up her phone and scrolled through her check list.

Again.

Everything she needed was there. Her half of the grocery list for the holiday dinner had taken over the island in Ben's kitchen and some of his counters.  
She had spent most of the day planning out her menu and making the list and finally the actual shopping.

The list had been fun to make but the shopping itself had nearly sucked the life out of Rey. She had gone to three grocery stores over the city to buy everything and despite her careful budgeting, had still managed to go over her budget by at least hundred dollars, forcing her to tap into the joint account she had Ben had recently set up to help with expenses for the baby. Ben's deposits into it had been much larger than hers.

There fifteen pound turkey was in the sink and defrosting for the dinner; everything in place for the holiday in two day's time. For the hundredth time, Rey rubbed her hands against the dish towel hanging from the oven door. 

There was so _much_ food and all for one meal. Not for the first time, Rey couldn't help the thought that this was too much: That she had gone overboard.

But it was the meal she and Ben would be hosting for her friends and his parents. The parents she would be meeting for the first time. The baby gave a little flutter a timely reminder of what was at stake and Rey absentmindedly rubbed the spot he had tickled. Right, this was fine, it was all fine.

A thick roll of butter caught her eye.

It was the good kind, hand churned on some nearby farm. But it was eight pounds even and had cost close to ten dollars.

Rey paused, taking a moment to let the feel of her child's light kick soothe her and took a deep breath. She shouldn't have spent that much.

When she had approached Ben about having this dinner, they had sat down in their mediator's office and made the budget together. It had been one of the first practical activities as partners (not romantic, that they had enjoyed doing together. It helped Ben get used to the idea of seeing his parents again for the first time in almost a decade.

She had liked hearing him, in halting hesitant tones that brought more vulnerability out of him than Rey had ever seen since they met, talk about what his parents and the food they had served him. On the rare occasion he had discussed his family, it had only been the negative.

In return, Rey had shyly pulled out her phone and showed him her secret list of saved recipes and dinner table decor she had saved on Instagram. Finn had seen it once or twice, but she had never let anyone see just how long the list was. Or how far back the dates on the pictures went. They hadn't been for any particular occasion, besides that wistful someday.

Someday.... When she would sit down and give her friends a big dinner plus leftovers at a table surrounded by little tealights in mason jars.

Well, that day had arrived, and it was nothing like Rey had imagined it was going to be. Sure, she was using a very nice kitchen to prepare the main course (it wasn't her own but that was semantics) and Ben had done a pretty decent job of fixing of up his spartan living room to sit eight people and give it a slightly festive vibe.

She wished he would have done a little more the make it...cozy ( _like a home_ ) for lack of a better word. But Rey pushed that away: He was already lending her his space and inviting his parents over for the first time in years. She wouldn't push him over something as small as tea lights.

Besides; she had gone over the budget.

The tension in Ben's shoulders visibly left him and he laughed. “Oh, is that all? Don't worry about it,” He assured her. “It doesn't matter and besides, its food. With your appetite we'll go through it easy.”  


He smiled and rubbed her shoulder before leaving the kitchen to go change and Rey watched him go, the ball of dread she had been pushing back all day now rising up and threatening to consume her. 

She packed in a hurry and left, not even waiting to say goodbye. She briefly considered calling Finn but didn't. He had a girlfriend and his own life to think of. And had already done more than he should have for her, especially in those early days with Ben. Rey didn't think she could stand to impose on him again. She could handle this...whatever it was. Ben had been perfectly reasonable and a hundred dollars , while quite a bit, wasn't enough o ruffle his feathers. They would need the extra anyways, he Rey knew it was true. 

Besides, his parents were flying in tomorrow and when she met them; Everything had to go well. And it would. With a huff, Rey turned her car around headed back into to the city. 

This was nothing. And she was being silly. All that mattered was things went well when Han and Leia arrived tomorrow. It would be all right.

Her own words of comfort rang hollow.

. . .

The next day, after spending an evening with Finn and Rose and making her excuses to Ben (which he seemed to buy), Rey made her way back to his apartment. The turkey was still in the sink and still rock hard. Ben was there, enjoying a rare day off and was trying to help. 

But Rey waved him off. “No,'' she said firmly and ignored the flash of hurt that flickered across his face. “I can do it. You focus on your parents.” He said nothing and left her alone. Rey wondered if she should go to him but didn't. It would be fine. They just had to get through the rest of today and tomorrow. Rey turned on the oven and pulled out the scissors. There was a bit of pressure behind her eyes but Rey ignored it and pulled the turkey out of the sink. Carefully, she cut off the plastic and threw it away.

There, step one done.   
As if in response, the baby began kicking against her bladder and Rey rant o the bathroom. This was going to be a long day,. 

_I'm a fucking engineer,_ she thought. _And I'm growing a fucking human. I can follow a simple recipe._

Rey took another deep breath and began cutting the plastic wrapping away. There, step one done. Rey smiled slightly, already feeling less overwhelmed. She looked at the recipe pulled up on her phone and then triple checked the supplies to her right spread over the island in Ben's kitchen.   
The pan, the spices, the oil...She had all of it chopped and ready to go. Like an Instagram video. 

Or so Rey told herself. 

As she began to lift the turkey out of the sink, the baby began kicking rapidly against her bladder and Rey clenched her legs. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

She made it into the bathroom in the nick of time. Rey groaned and rubbed her temples.

"Is this revenge for not getting the right sparkle juice?" She muttered to the top of her bump. In response, the baby only twitched and tickled her side. Rey sighed and stood up.

She was so tired. More than anything, she wanted to sit down and binge watch some mindless Hapan space god/wizard/fox hospital drama and eat bowl after bowl of shitty instant ramen and chips. But she couldn't. Ben's parents were arriving later that night and she needed to put something edible on the table for them and her friends by tomorrow night. But god... junk food sounded so good right now. There was one little hitch.

If there was one thing Rey hated most about pregnancy it was having her appetite high-jacked. Since month four, the baby had rejected anything that wasn't fermented or pickled in some shape or form. Not to mention the fact it only wanted high end pickles and a kombucha that every hipster in the county also wanted.

This almost wasn't worth-

Stop.

Just stop, she told herself and forced herself up. Rey pulled up her pants and looked down at her bump. "You're worth it," she whispered. "You are a bougie little gremlin with expensive taste, but the moment I learned about you I promised to accept you. Expensive taste and all."

Feeling marginally better, Rey washed her hands and headed back into the kitchen. The turkey was still frozen in the sink, only half out of the packaging. She could do this. Rey adjusted her already rolled up sleeves and looked at the recipe.

An hour later, she was putting the last of the lemon garlic butter under the skin. She had used the entire butter roll and it covered the whole bird in a thick layer. Rey adjusted the pan and stepped back. Okay, okay. That had taken a long time to prepare but damn, she had done it. Even if she had had to take a few bathroom breaks.

A glance at the clock told Rey she had a couple hours until Ben got home. And four more before his parents arrived. The oven had been preheating at 475˚.

She had done everything on the list and now all that was left was to let the damn bird cook. Rey washed her hands and thinking ahead, took one last trip to the bathroom.

Finally, she opened the oven door and with some effort lifted the pan off the counter and placed it on the middle rack. Rey slammed the door shut and grinned. She had done it.

Now, it was time for a nap.

Ben's had set up a guest room but...his bed was nicer. Rey made a beeline for his room and fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow.

As she fell deeper into sleep, her dreams took her back to last time she slept in Ben's bed.

He hadn't been bad for a hook-up; he had taken his sweet time with her, even when Rey wanted to rush through the thing. When she tried to rush, he had only chuckled into her neck and pinned her down and went slower. Her dreams brought back fleeting impressions of that night and Rey felt herself sinking deeper into the forgotten sensation as she napped. 

Suddenly, the dream filled with a vague sense of unease and Rey turned and saw red tail lights in the distance and smoke filled the air. Rey's eyes flew open and she thrashed in the blankets, desperate to escape that old fear. She could still smell the exhaust; a sickening mix of burning meat, garlic, and lemon that permeated the air and wouldn't leave no matter how much Rey would ply herself with perfume.

Wait.

That wasn't right. Rey's eyes snapped open and she bolted up in bed, disorientated. Where was she? What time was it? Had she told Rose or Finn who she had gone home with?

Rey forced herself to breathe. And slowly, with each breath, she returned to the waking world. She rubbed her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

She had slept longer than she meant to.

Rey glanced at the clock and wondered why she felt so anxious. She was forgetting something, Rey knew it. But what? Ben wasn't due home for another half hour and....

The turkey!

Rey bolted oot of the bedroom and into the kitchen. It was hazy with smoke and it only became worse when she threw open the oven door.

In the roasting pan, the turkey's skin was blackened and charred. Rey nearly screamed in frustration as she grabbed the oven mitts and pulled the pan out and threw it on the stove.

How? How did she let this happen? Rey had followed every step the right way. She knew she had and it still still went wrong. Rey felt her back hit the cabinet and slid down onto the floor.

The tears she had been holding back began slipping out and before she knew it, Rey was sobbing into a hand-towel.

"Rey?"

Ben sounded hesitant, cautious. Rey lifted her head out of her hands and saw Ben's wide frame filling up the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

"You're home!" she choked out and Ben nodded. He looked disheveled. His tie had been loosened and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Hey," he said, glancing between her and the burnt turkey on the stove. "What happened?" Rey shook her head and started crying again, sobs racking her body.

"I don't know," she whispered hoarsely. "Why are you here? I thought..." she trailed off as Ben sat down beside her and took her hand. "I...my parents came early. I left the office to meet them and, well." This close to him Rey could smell the vodka on his breath. "You wound up a at a bar?" she asked and he nodded, ashamed.

Rey couldn't blame him. While she had been messing things up, he had opened up his home, and had reached out to the parents that had left for years; all for her. And no matter how hard she tried, Rey couldn't give back anything to repay him. The thought made her cry harder.

"Wait, no Rey!" Ben begged and sat down next to her. His arm awkwardly wrapped around her shoulders and he held her tightly. "Please, don't cry. Its just a turkey,we can find something else to make."

Ben stayed on the floor, his large frame covering her for who knew how long. Rey cried until there was nothing left. Finally, Ben let her go and stood. She could hear him shuffling around in the shelves above her, but she was too tired to look up and see what he was doing.

When he sat down again, he handed her a glass of water. Rey swallowed and realized just how thirsty she was. The air was smoky and her eyes itched and the water felt like a balm.

Ben took the empty glass and refilled it wordlessly.

Rey took her time with the second glass, trying not to start crying again as Ben rubbed her shoulders. Finally, Rey wiped her eyes and leaned back agaisnt the cupboard.

On either side of her, the oven and Ben were radiating heat. It felt nice, being so warm and secure.

"I burned the turkey," she said at last. Ben only nodded. "I can see that." he replied cautiously. "its okay, it happens all the time. we can find some thing else to feed everyone." He paused and glanced up at the stove-top. "Besides, we might be able to salvage some of it."

Rey groaned and buried her face in her hands. "You don't get it!" she snapped, bitterness lacing every word. Rey forced herself to stand, pushing Ben's hand away and holding onto the counter to heft herself up.

"I tried so fucking.. _hard."_ she snapped. "And you are so fucking blase about everything!" Ben's eyes narrowed and his pale face flushed.

"Don't," he said, his voice low and controlled. "Don't you fucking dare." Rey was tired and disappointed enough she no longer cared. "Why not? Your head is so fucking up your ass I doubt you'd even notice."

Ben stood up and towered over her, but Rey wasn't afraid and looked him dead in the eye. Ben was a lot of things; violent towards loved ones was not one of them.

Not anymore at least.

Suddenly, Ben forced himself to take a step back and shut his eyes. He inhaled deeply through his nose and released in a long breath.Rey almost wanted to say something snarky about yoga and hippies, but Ben took a second breath and as he released it, the tension in the room seemed to break. 

Rey blinked and took a step back into herself, ashamed. Ben repeated the deep breathing for five more breaths and then opened his eyes. "Okay, whats going on?" he asked.

Rey was quiet and then..... "I burned the turkey. I went over budget buying everything for it and I fucking burned it."

Ben opened his mouth to comfort her but Rey pushed on.If she couldn't say this now, when would she get the chance? "No, don't. I know you mean well and think this doesn't matter but it does!" Rey folded her arms across her chest and glared at Ben.

"This had to be great." Rey sounded crazy, even to her own ears. "You've let me use your apartment and I know you hate that and you're letting me invite all my friends over! Not to mention your parents are going to be here! I've never met a set parents that wanted me and they needed to see this could be perfect."

Rey paused to take a breath and the clock on the oven caught her eye. She had set the timer but it had forgotten to actually start it.

"Fucking great!" she snarled. " I just wasted over two hundred dollars and ten pounds of yuppie butter because I forgot to set the motherfucking timer. Rookie mistake any other idiot would have remembered but oh no, not me, -"

The spray of water in to the face caught Rey off guard. She took a step back, sputtering. "What the hell was that for?" she asked Ben. He shrugged and replaced the sink hose. "You were spiraling," he said simply. Rey glared at him and wiped the water out of her eyes. Rey wanted to yell at him, wanted to continue her tirade, but she was tired. One look at Ben's soft eyes and Rey realized that he did understand; He had been listening.

The tension left her shoulders and Rey leaned back against the counter and rubbed her her face. The water had, in a very literal sense, cooled her down and left her a little more level.

"I'm gonna get you back for this," Rey said and Ben just nodded. "I don't doubt it," he replied and sat down on a bar stool. "Its why I like you."

Rey risked a small smile. "Oh really?" "Really. That, and your impeccable cooking skills."

"Ben, in a few years, that will be funny. Not right fucking now." Ben let out a low chuckle that Rey felt in her core. "It is funny right now. After all, I was in a bad mood when I got in but I'm not anymore." He had been in bad mood? But why,oh. His parents had come in and would be at their hotel by now.

Rey hesitated then asked, "Your parents; How did that go? I know how much you've done by reaching out again and I wanted..." She trailed off and looked at the turkey. Parts of it were burned, the rest looked under-cooked and frozen in others. Ben looked down at his hands.

"It went like I thought it would, but also better than I thought it would. Its too soon to tell though." He looked up at Rey and held her gaze, steady. "They want to try though. They want to another chance more than anything. They don't care what it looks like and I... its time I gave them that chance."

Since that day in the coffee shop, Ben had let Rey into so many parts of his life without hesitation. But when it came to his parents, he shut down. Rey hadn't pushed, as much as she wanted to. This was the most she had ever gotten from him about them.

She wanted to push now, but didn't. She had to trust that would tell her in his own time. So she simply nodded and took a seat beside him.

"Thank you," she said earnestly and took his hand in hers. "I wouldn't settle for anything less." Ben smiled and squeezed her hand. "You know I don't... you know its okay that you forgot the timer? And it really is fine you sprang for the fancier ingredients. Nothing tastes better than food drowned in butter and garlic, I mean it." Ben said and Rey let the fact he was going to say something else slide.

"I know." She replied softly and looked down at their entwined hands. "Its just... I just have to prove I can do this." Ben snorted.

"Prove what? You'll be a good parent? You already have. You've rearranged your entire life for someone neither of us have even met yet. And you did it thinking you'd be by yourself. And when I showed up you dragged us both to a therapist to see how the fuck a couple of strangers could stand each other long enough to raise a kid instead of winging it."

Ben paused for a breath and gave Rey a look when she tried to say something. "I'm not done yet. Rey, I won't pretend I understand everything you went through as a kid, but I do know rejection and if you think my parents won't want you because you're not good enough, then you have another thing coming. When I saw them today, they were trying not to show it but..." he paused and Rey could see him internally counting his breaths. "They were as scared about everything as I feel. Scared you wouldn't like them, scared I'll pull away again and this time, they'll lose you and a grandchild. All without ever getting to know you."

Ben looked as if it pained him to admit this and once again, Rey was struck by how little she knew about Ben and the seemingly unbridgeable gap between them. The rest of what he said settled over her and absurdly, she saw herself from Leia's eyes. The one who had finally gotten her prodigal child to come back only for it all to hinge on the opinion of a stranger. Would they be enough? Rey glanced at the turkey on the stove and the timer and then at Ben. He was looking at her with so much hope it burned. She wanted to take him in her arms and hide away. But she couldn't, She needed to to say so much and wanted to demand that he turn over the secrets he he held clenched in an iron cage. But she wouldn't.

"They're nervous, too?" Rey finally settled on. "Its hard to believe." Ben nodded. "We all are. " he whispered and joined her against the counter and squeeze her hand. "I know its hard to believe, but we all are."

Rey stared at the burned turkey and smiled. "I can start to." she said softly. "Its just...this is so fucking weird. All of it. And I don't....I need to know I can give something too. You've given up your space for my friends and your parents and I just." Rey shook her head and looked away.

"No. I looked at it like that too, but I think I just opened things up and realized there was lot more space than I wanted to admit."

"You sound like the self help books our therapist has been recommending."

"Figured I'd give it a shot, and beneath the filler, wine mom bullshit there are a couple nuggets of wisdom." Rey giggled and looked up at the turkey. She didn't feel all the way better, but she did feel calmer and having Ben next to her put her at ease. She felt like everything was hard, but manageable. 

"Thanks Ben," she mumbled and pulled him against her for a hug. "I'm glad it was you."

Ben sighed and held her tighter, "Me too." he whispered.

Rey let graitude wash over her and the last bit of her funk slipped back into the shadows, its hold lessened. "Hey Ben?" she said after moment. "Hmm?"

"What about the turkey? Its the main course and it looks awful." Ben shifted and looked up at the stove.

"It looks salvageable," he said after some careful consideration and Rey poked him in the side. "Oi," she snapped with no real heat. He chuckled and stood up. 

Rey watched him go over to the freezer and dig around in the very back. He pulled out to older cans of Pillsbury pastry dough and smiled.

"I have an idea. But we need a knife."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this took longer than expected, but isn't that the one commonality of fanfiction?


End file.
